Community Worldbuilding Project [Ishka: Urban and Urbane]

[DragonOfUndeath]

POI
name: The Planar Library
district: Mage district
Description: this library of the planes sounds like a dusty old vault down in the deepest darkest part of Ishka but it's actually the biggest source of tourism in the 3rd ring. instead of dusty old tomes filled with half-legible scribble about insignificant things. not The Library, it holds most of the animals found in other planes, for a fee someone can go there and see the different animals, for a larger fee they can pet some of the less dangerous creatures.
(plot hook/side quest) unfortunately new creatures are always getting loose near the bottom where the most dangerous specimens are kept under lock and key. (plot hook/side quest)

[Silverscale]

POI
Point of Interest: The Planar Library
Location: Mages District
Description: This library of the planes sounds like a dusty old vault down in the deepest darkest part of Ishka but it's actually the biggest source of tourism in the 3rd ring. instead of dusty old tomes filled with half-legible scribble about insignificant things. not The Library, it holds most of the animals found in other planes, for a fee someone can go there and see the different animals, for a larger fee they can pet some of the less dangerous creatures.
(plot hook/side quest) unfortunately new creatures are always getting loose near the bottom where the most dangerous specimens are kept under lock and key. (plot hook/side quest)

I think you meant to call it The Planar Zoo, but other than that I like it. Also I took the liberty of formating your post.

[DragonOfUndeath]

it's a zoo/library/biolab. it started as a few biology experiments and grew when people started paying to see the animals in a more or less natural habitat. does the people know what zoo's are? i haven't heard of zoos in other campaigns.

{edit} thanks for formatting {edit}

[Silverscale]

How many campaigns have you heard of that have a massive city the size of New Jersey? Or codified organizations such as the Streetbuilders and the Trash Corps?

If we want to put in a Zoo that does for the Mutliverse what Sphen does for the Material Plane Ishka resides in, then I say let's go for it. I agree that it may incorperate a library and various laboratories for the study of Xenobiology because most Zoo's include laboratory facilities to study and care for the creatures they hold.

[DragonOfUndeath]

ok bio-lab/library of species +zoo added AFTER it was named (for funding purposes) thus keeping the name Planar Library
oh and i don't know any other campaigns like this.

[Owrtho]

oh and i don't know any other campaigns like this.

I think that was his point.
Also, a thought on the stations. I'd suggest that the enchantments on them automatically account for if a station isn't working. Thus is one station goes down, the next station after it will simply skip that stop (as the stations don't have to actually follow an order), and likely have an indicator come up that that stop is down (as would the other stations in the cycle). This would prevent backup until the ITA could correct the problem/come up with a good reroute for until the problem is fixed (as people will still need to get where the stop was most likely).

As for the Zoo, perhaps it started as a normal library focused on the wildlife of the multiverse, but then the researchers there started bringing specimens to study and update the archives.

Owrtho

[DragonOfUndeath]

@Orhwo: me and Silverscale are working on fixing the problem in PM if you wish to join in please PM Silverscale or me and we will forward our current situation. I am going to post a more detailed history for the library. i will take your ideas into consideration. i will post in 30-60 minutes.

[DragonOfUndeath]

sorry it's late my computer crashed and i had to restart.

the Planar Library was established by Lord Ad. Venture in the Academy district over 300 years ago. it was supposed to be a catalog of all known planar species. the Library was intended to dissect dead beasts only but Lord Ad's brother Misad, snuck into the warehouse the dead bugs were being held overnight and replaced them with real living versions. well the biologists got a little surprised when their other-worldly dead bugs began moving. the next few days saw the student biologists run little tests on the 'dragon beetle' (so called because it could sneeze fire) and learned more about them than 100 times that many dead beetles. after a few more days of testing the students submitted their report including the mix-up that caused live beetles to be sent instead of dead ones. Lord Ad was impressed as the report was handed in several days early and had much more detail than ordinary reports. from then on he imported live species to test and catalog.

around 150 years later, sadly Lord Ad had passed away, but his work was still being done in the academy. the catalogers of the time were having trouble gaining enough money too run and keep the crowds clear when bringing in unusual animals. during one such arrival a particularly large crowd had descended on the box which contained several worm burrowers. as the worms passed through the gates someone near the back shouted "I'll pay you!" this caused an almost eureka moment in the gnome high scientist. he knew a way to solve both problems at the same time. he hurried back to his desk to start work.
4 weeks later the renovations were finished: shatterproof glass resistant to all elements, large enough pens for exhibits, numerous food-sellers, etc.
the grand opening of the Planar Library Zoo was about to begin.
the opening was a huge success: ticket sales alone paid for all the food, decorations, renovations etc and still almost had enough to match the budget they got for a year, from 1 night.
unfortunately a fire-elemental had a bit too much too drink: WHOOOSH bye bye 4 blocks worth of stuff. most of the money that night went to making another one in magetown where people would come to see the exotic animals, most workers lived nearby and it was close to highly skilled sorcerers and wizards.

please feel free to add anything you think it needs. please comment, if it sucks i want to know why so i can improve it and make better stories next time.

[DragonOfUndeath]

did anyone get the lord adventure pun?
how about the misadventure pun?
no *crickets chirp*

[Owrtho]

That is a rather bad pun. I'd missed it before due to reading the . after Ad as a sentence end. As for the stations, I don't have much to add on the issue. It also seems like my suggestion would work regardless of the actual organization method used. One thing to point out though, is that the paths from one stop to another aren't what can go down in a station, it is the individual stops. Thus if the enchantments were such that if a stop went down they adjusted to just skip it, it would likely help for any difficulties that might occur.

Owrtho

[Silverscale]

@newD&Dfan: I like what you've done with the Library/Zoo except for the pun name....we have thus far avoided puns like that in this setting so it seems inconsistent with the rest of Ishka.

[DragonOfUndeath]

i couldn't help myself and since owrtho didn't see it, i failed miserably. i won't do it again in future.

[DragonOfUndeath]

what is ishka's crest/motto/animal?

[Silverscale]

what is ishka's crest/motto/animal?

good question.....any ideas?

[DragonOfUndeath]

Animal:
Leviathan?
Dragon?

Crest:
Builder's tools (?) (First Builder like though)
Canyon/Fissure?

Motto:
To Expand And Prosper (in Latin)? Ut Impendo Quod Prospicio

[DragonOfUndeath]

what do you think about the motto wrtho? Silver

[BLiZme.2]

National animal
The Rattle Snake for all of the reasons it was adopted in early America (except Ben Franklin) + the river- the cost line.
It is not aggressive but will always defend itself but warn you before it strikes and that strike is truly terrible (the golden army anyone) It dose useful work killing rodents(ha ha dead rats). plus if we say the old French legend about having to bury parts of a dead snake separately so they don’t reunite and live again exists in Ishka (like colonial America) then the idea applies to there districts as well as to Americas States.

National Motto
I have no idea…

BTW We do have a couple of puns but they are all way way more obscure and subtle then Lord Ad Venture except maybe quandary station but then again all of the ones that come to mind are the kind that people in universe would make up and put in place so… (also they weren’t as bad)
@ newD&Dfan: The last paragraph the bits past the colon to the end need some polish but otherwise your write-up is very good.

Any input on the progress on the map would be nice.

[DragonOfUndeath]

im not making the map and i suck at drawing. i can help with technical stuff like the stations or diplomacy between nations.

[DragonOfUndeath]

if someone gives me some templates ill give you diplomatic relations -100 thru +100, how much they trade (gdp %), if they are allies or will become allies. if they will band together in a war. etc.

[Gallanoth]

Just caught back up on reading through *phew*

Honestly I'd say that a leviathan would suit Ishka perfectly as a symbol of the city because of Ishka's background as a fishing village and the Leviathan's reference to size. Also animal symbols of nations tend to carry towards more mythic and noble animals rather than what is often considered vermin so I don't think the rattlesnake would quite fit as a national animal IMHO.

I really like the map of the canyon so far and I can't wait to see the rest of it.

Also isn't the bazaar of the bizarre also a dock to the astral sea? I had at least imagined it to be so, and if so I think that the bazaar would be at least 3-4 times larger to accommodate the traffic to and from the astral plane.

Also

POI
Name: Cut-throat Alliance Headquarters
Location: None
Description: Frankie Lakree had Headquarters commissioned 45 years ago after an MI raid caught him in a meeting in the basement of a bookshop with other Alliance members and nearly got him sent to the Vault for life for association with known criminals. The others all ended up in the vault. As such Headquarters has become a place where the most important secrets are shared and kept - secrets that could bring down the Alliance and its core members.The only way into the Alliance Headquarters is through certain well-guarded, well-hidden Alliance Holes leading to the pocket dimension that is the Headquarters. Headquarters isn't used often as a central gathering by the Alliance, but is rather a place where large meetings between the important figures can occur that would draw too much attention, or are too sensitive to risk any kind of leak. Captives are taken here as a last resort to be held or "questioned" about things of vital importance to the Alliance and have their minds heavily wiped about any information that might reveal Headquarters location. Headquarters is a well kept secret by the Alliance and only the most trusted members know of its entrances. MI and The Eyes know of its existence but still have yet to actually find an entrance.

[DragonOfUndeath]

that's why i mentioned the leviathan.

the bazzar of the bizaare is next to the gate to the astral sea not a part of it. think cafes next to an airport terminal.

the POI seems like a good quest hook for Good Characters, Lawful Characters and Evil Characters not so much Chaotic though unless to steal something like nimble-footed Jack.

[DragonOfUndeath]

should i post a brief history here?

[Gallanoth]

In the center of the Bazare, guarded by Gatekeepers, is a gate to the Astral plane as well as a gate linking it directly to The Market District.

Found it, I'm not delusional.
Anyways yes I was thinking of the shops as "cafes" of sorts but the ones inside rather than near. Also on increased size - the bazaar would need to be much more massive to be able to deal with shipping traffic from the astral sea. Actually I can imagine that the Mages district would border Mithral heights, allowing the Astral docking space to adjoin to the skydocks with the bazaar right next to the docks. Comments?

[BRC]

that's why i mentioned the leviathan.

the bazzar of the bizaare is next to the gate to the astral sea not a part of it. think cafes next to an airport terminal.

the POI seems like a good quest hook for Good Characters, Lawful Characters and Evil Characters not so much Chaotic though unless to steal something like nimble-footed Jack.

It could be plenty useful for chaotic characters, especially those who want to blackmail Alliance higher ups.

[DragonOfUndeath]

@Gallanoth: yeah it could work. you should talk to the map-maker though.

@BRC: maybe, but isn't that more Neutral than Chaotic

should i post a short history for people who can't find the right wiki page?

[Owrtho]

Animal: Tanasinn
Motto:
Ishka operates the whole world.
Ishka is the soul of the universe.
Ishka is the bottom of your heart.
Ishka transcends surrealism and realism.
Ishka is inherent in every self.
Ishka is inherent in every structure.
Ishka is inherent in every system.
Ishka is decadent and may cause self-collapse.
Ishka vacumeir alles
Ishka plays with all elements
The Messenger of fear
The Child of darkness and confusion
The King of infinite decomposition
The Khaos

「Don't think. Feel and you'll be Ishka」

Ok, maybe not. Sorry, couldn't resist.

Not sure what Ishka's animal would be, or if it would even have one due to its fractured nature. Might be more along the lines of the hydra (many heads), but that fails to take into account the size.

As for an Alliance HQ, it doesn't really fit. For one, Frankie isn't in charge of the Alliance (no one really is). Also, due to the nature of the Alliance, there wouldn't be any one HQ, each group in the Alliance would have their own. However, that does give me a somewhat interesting idea for something similar.

Place/Person(?) of Interest
Name: CA HQ
Location: Far Realm
History: At one point, a few high ranking members of the Alliance were in a meeting over boarder issues when the MI raided their location. While the host of the meeting escaped due to familiarity with the area, the others were not so lucky. Soon the host began to feel that he might not have been lucky to escape after all. The groups who's leaders were caught blamed the host, and so he sought a way to avoid such a thing happening again in hopes of appeasing the groups and living out the month.
He first considered going to Ravenshome, but realized he'd be unable to do anything to get out of his situation there. Instead he went to Deepmire. While there he began studying to find a way to make a safe movable meeting place, that could be relocated at need. Lacking the time to lean what magic would be required to do what he wanted, he tried contacting otherworldly entities. No one is quite sure what happened after that, but somehow it seems he contacted something in the Far Realms, and thereafter the CA HQ began to show up. The host was never seen again.
Description: The CA HQ is a strange entity about which little is known. To the best of anyone's knowledge, it seems to be denizen of the Far Realms has a pocket dimension inside it over which it has complete control. No one is sure why, but it seems to have allied itself with the Alliance, occasionally opening portals into Ishka helping Alliance members escape getting caught, or providing a place to host meetings. However, as much of a haven as it may seem, it is not a place that anyone likes to stay. Those that wander around are often never seen again, and anyone sleeping there will have horrible nightmares (as if effected by the Nightmare spell). The tendency of the layout to change, and the feeling that it something horrible is there whenever you aren't looking does little to help the matter. The same goes for the eyes, mouths and other strange anatomical features that are sometimes seen on the walls, floors, and ceilings in ones peripheral vision, but are gone as soon as one tries to focus on them. Those that stay for around a day or more often mention hearing strange sounds and voices that may or may not be in their head, and sometimes mention encountering people who seem to perceive completely different surroundings. Those that stay too long and make it out often go mad. Even so, the Alliance sees the CA HQ as a valuable resource, and some leaders have even sought ways to make it show up when a particularly private meeting is needed.
Notes: The CA HQ has complete control over its layout, and does not need to follow the normal laws of physics or space. It may also have its layout different for different people at the same time.
When it opens a portal to Ishka, it often looks like a somewhat out of place hole or hiding spot that seems to draw the attention of those who need it. Upon entering, people will usually find them self in what looks like a large elegant manor, though things seems subtly off. If one leaves, they often will find that the exit is close to where they wanted to go, but almost always out of general view.

Owrtho

[DragonOfUndeath]

Motto: To Expand And Prosper

[DragonOfUndeath]

the motto fit's the city perfectly. it is prospering it has/is expanding and are nigh on indestructible due to large pop density and large pop.

[Silverscale]

Found it, I'm not delusional.
Anyways yes I was thinking of the shops as "cafes" of sorts but the ones inside rather than near. Also on increased size - the bazaar would need to be much more massive to be able to deal with shipping traffic from the astral sea. Actually I can imagine that the Mages district would border Mithral heights, allowing the Astral docking space to adjoin to the skydocks with the bazaar right next to the docks. Comments?

Except Mithral Heights, and by extension the Skydocks, are about 2-3 thousand feet in the air. Even if the Mages District is next to Mithral Heights it would be physically impossible to have a building in one district adjoin with buildings in the other. That's not to say that there can't be a gate that links the two all though they are already indirectly connected through The Market District.

[DragonOfUndeath]

hi silver. do you think the i should post brief history summary?
also Motto: To Expand And Prosper(?)
Animal: Leviathan(?)
Emblem: Fissure(?)
i think they should be but would like a clear support from someone before making the changes "official".